A Wedding (Noces)

Stephan Streker,
Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Pakistan 2016,
95 min

“We should move with the times,” says Zahira’s mother, smiling. Zahira is 18 and is allowed to Skype (very modern!) from her parental home in Belgium with three suitors in Pakistan. Zahira has her doubts, but wants to keep her parents happy. After all, their family ties are deep and loving.

However, there are irreconcilable differences between her parents’ expectations and traditions and Zahira’s Western lifestyle. Torn between two worlds, an unexpected pregnancy adds an additional, complicating factor to this young, independent woman’s life. Zahira faces an impossible conundrum and a tragic choice.

Actress Lina El Arabi manages to convey Zahira’s emotional life in just a glance. Director and scriptwriter Stephan Streker captures this in strong close-ups, outlining the milieu and dilemmas of various generations of migrants in a nuanced, sharply observed manner.